It is obvious that Joseph Fleming had a history of mental illness given the records available. He had used the alias of James Evans also for some years. He had a history of removal and resettlement.

He may have had several jobs, variously labourer, plasterer's labourer, french polisher, boot maker's apprentice. According to one record he resided in Royston Street during his apprenticeship but I suspect that shortly afterwards moved to 125 Brick Lane.

Hi MS
Thanks for this. There are actually two Joseph Felm(m)ings of the same age and both with links to Bethnal Green in the Poor Law records.

The son of Richard and Henrietta who used the alias James Evans and ended up in an asylum is the one mentioned in City of London removal records (these are posted on casebook and forums somewhere)

Then there is Joseph Flem(m)ing, son of George and Sarah, baptised and registered at birth as 'Edward Joseph' but who used the name Joseph all his life. He can be traced in and out of the Bethnal Green workhouse records from being a boy, along his sister Sarah. He was apparently the apprentice shoemaker (his father was a shoemaker) in the settlement records and also the 1891 'French polisher' in Poplar workhouse. This Joseph lived on Bethnal Green Rd at some point too.

These records and research separating the two men are also posted on forums somewhere but I can't link you to them at the moment as forums is down.
Hope this helps a little though.

Debra, you are right of course. Do we know roughly when our Joseph Fleming started to use the name James Evans (which seem curiously Welsh) and has he been located in the 1881 Census?

MS- Joseph Fleming, alias James Evans, is the Crozier St mason's plasterer in 1881 census and [Edward] Joseph Fleming is the one listed in the Poplar workhouse. [Edward] Joseph is the one who had a juvenile criminal record according to his Bethnal Green and Poplar workhouse records, which lists him as being brought to and from prison.